Happy Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4704 begins on Jan. 29, 2006. This year is the year of the dog.
It is celebrated internationally, including in Chinatowns, Chinese New Year is the most important holiday of the Chinese people, and many East Asians such as Mongolians, Koreans and Vietnamese who have holidays which fall on the same day.
Around the New Year, Chinese people greet each other with: "Congratulations and be prosperous"and "Happy New Year" .
Traditionally, red packets are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples to unmarried people. Chinese New Year is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and lion dances. Typically the game of mahjong is played.
At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits.
posted by Mercy Now @ 8:34 PM
2 Comments:
I was in London last year for Chinese New Year's and it was incredible. Sadly, no strangers gave me red envelopes filled with money...
I'd be happy to send you a red envelope filled w/ lots of wishes, just no moola though. BTW, you should post some photos of London on your blog. I love London except it's wickedly expensive there.
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